Delegation

Delegation

    Generally viewed in the US as a "one hit wonder," Delegation actually had a relatively long group career and a fair amount of international success, particularly in Europe.

    Delegation was formed in the UK in the mid 70s by Ricky Bailey, Len Coley and Roddy Harris. Working with producer/writer Ken Gold, they began releasing a series of modestly successful UK singles such as "The Promise of Love" and "Where Is The Love." But their fortunes changed for the better in 1979 with the release of "Oh Honey," a fantastic mid-tempo cut that hit the top ten in several countries. The accompanying album, The Promise of Love, was uneven but included a handful of solid tracks, including the terrific ballad "Mr. Heartbreak" and the minor upbeat cut "Someone Oughta Write a Song (About You Baby)," which also charted. By 1980, Coley and Harris were replaced by Ray Patterson and Bruce Dunbar, and group continued on with lesser success.

    The reformulated Delegation released Eau De Vie in 1980 and had an international hit with "Heartache #9." They followed with an eponymously titled album in 1981 and Deuces High in 1982. All charted in Europe but stiffed in the US. In '84 Dunbar quit and was replaced by Kathy Bryant. The act recorded a couple more singles and continued to perform through the end of the decade.

    Bailey reunited with Gold in the mid-90s to repackage Delegation's earlier recordings into new compilations and reformed the group to release Encore in Europe in 1999. It was Delegation's final recording. Bailey continues to tour with a reconstituted version of the group under the label The Delegation Band.

    By Chris Rizik

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